Scans_Daily

Bringing the crack since December 2003

Secret Six #9

Picking up from the preview we finally see the unholiness mentioned in the solicits.Oh gods. I'd completely forgotten the warning so when I turned the page I just kind of sat there for a moment registering the image. Then I laughed.It only gets better, of course.Though it's not all fun and Robin!Ragdoll discovering what words can be made to sound perverse, this is the Battle for the Cowl issue after all. So there is some discussion of said 'cowl'.And even a visit from one of the more appropriate contenders for it.You just know you want to know how that goes and how they got there, yes? ;p

I'M getting a shock-induced coma, and I am not that big a Ragdoll fan. I am in awe.

You know that hero pose Nightwing has right now? It will all fall apart as he beholds Ragdoll/Robin. He will do what I just did... stare and say "No... just no.... no....... no......" as the brain malfunctions, Bat training or no Bat-training.

I blame Gail Simone for the fact that I nearly died laughing at 'Doll's rampant abuse of his ability to make anything unsavoury. It was really, really difficult to breathe after 'Gold-Plated Bedknobs!!!'

The one that did it for me was 'silverback gorillas'. Because I honestly CAN'T think of anything unsavory involving silverback gorillas - or rather, I couldn't... until now. (Actually, I still can't. But I feel like I SHOULD.)

Didn't they already do Bane-Man during Morrison's Batman run, really? Granted, it could've been done a lot better, given Morrison seemed to forget that Venom doesn't turn the user into a rampaging idiot.

Last image on this preview, 1st panel.(ohgod)Ragdoll(I'm staring)Ragdoll in full swing of a right cross/hook, with a toddler in his other hand.(oh god I'm staring this is not good)Is that his ASS beside one of his surgical scars?(I'm staring.. I'm going to hell.)Can't be his hip... and the Robin underwear on the outside is falling.

It would only qualify as "horrifying" if he wasn't wearing his usual costume under the Robin suit.

Good for a laugh, even as is.

Gail and Nicola's work on Secret Six is one of the few cases where a book actually succeeds in being dark and edgy. And the pervasive sense of black humor is one of the most critical reasons for that success.

P.S:Boy, was I ever grateful to see that Nicola was back on the clock, instead of that fill-in artist from #8.

Robin!Doll's fun with words was entertaining (or something), but my favorite parts? Um, Nightwing's ass-shot (but you knew that already); Blake's explanation of why they were there in the first place ("Yeah? Well, first, junior, we came here to help. Out of respect..."); and the best of the best ... Blake and Bane's conversation about Nightwing and Batman ("He's not Batman for Christ's sake!" "Who else will be? God help him.").

Gail's really exploring Bane, and showing us a greater depth to the character than I ever imagined. Never thought I'd say it, but I'm really coming to appreciate him -- he's been on both sides of the fence, and has a clearer appreciation of the divides.

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